Alt-rock musician grandson played his first-ever show in Ottawa on Feb. 23, at Babylon Nightclub. In the week leading up to it, anticipation was growing; tickets sold out well ahead of the date, and fans patiently waited for the release of a modern tragedy vol. 2, his second EP, which came out the night before.
Less than an hour before the show, fans had lined up down Babylon’s block on Bank Street. When the doors opened, the venue quickly filled up, and by the time the first act started, the area around the stage was completely packed with a young and diverse crowd.
To begin the show, Just John x Dom Dias, an up-and-coming rapper and DJ/producer duo from Toronto. Perhaps the crowd was already warmed up after waiting outside in the cold for a while, because it didn’t take much for the duo to get them moving and pumped about their performance. The duo sounded great and they were fun to watch, so the lively reaction they got from the crowd was well deserved.
Up next was the Blue Stones; a blues rock duo from Windsor, Ont. Almost completely different from the previous act, the Blue Stones brought carried a classic garage rock vibe similar to the White Stripes and the Black Keys.
With Tarek Jafar on vocals and guitar and Justin Tessier on drums, the duo held a very tight dynamic with heavy emphasis on going all-out in their solos.
Although having a hip-hop duo followed by a blues rock duo as opening acts may seem strange to some, it was very fitting in this setting because that’s what grandson’s music sounds like: a unique blend of rock, electronic and rap.
Later on, after a significant onstage changeover, the crowd was eagerly waiting for their headliner. Following his three bandmates, grandson came onto the stage, and started with “Stigmata” from his new EP.
The hour-long set covered much of grandson’s currently small and limited discography, including his two EPs in their entirety. Since some his music had only been released the day before, a fair amount was new to the crowd of loyal “grandkids.”
He used the performance to make a number of political statements about U.S. President Donald Trump and issues surrounding gun violence, but he also talked about mental health and the opioid crisis, which are both themes of his music.
Grandson ultimately pushed a message of self-importance, telling the crowd that their feelings and opinions matter. He encouraged fans to handle their personal frustrations by writing them down or turning them into music, just like he has done throughout his life.
Depending on where you were in the venue, it was hard to hear vocals, but being slightly further back, overall, the show was great.
Grandson gave his fans something to cherish, and a unique small venue performance to remember for a long time.
Photo by Jeff Pelletier
